G E7 A7
Would you like to play the guitar?
D7 G
Carry money home in a jar
E7 A7 Am
From a coffeehouse or a bar
D7 G
Or would you rather get a job?
verse 1:
G C G C
A job is the thing that makes you get out of bed
G C G
And work every day until you're dead.
A7 D7
Your back is achin' and your brain is numb
A7 D7
And you just can't wait until the weekend comes
G C Bm E7
But if you don't want to starve or beg or rob
Am D7 G
You're gonna have to get a job
G E7 A7
Or would you like to play the guitar
D7 G
Drive for miles and miles in your car
E7 A7 Am
And pretend that you're a big star
D7 G
Or would you rather book the gig?
verse 2:
G C G C
An agent's the guy who takes his twenty- percent
G C G
What he says ain't always what he meant.
A7 D7
He'll clean you out in ways you never thought
A7 D7
Because he's good at business and he knows you're not.
G C Bm E7
And then he'll sue if you ever make it big
Am D7 G
"Cause he's the guy who booked the gig.
G E7 A7
Or would you like to play the guitar
D7 G
For a living--har-dee-har-har.
E7 A7 Am
I'll admit it's kind of bizarre
D7 G
Or would you rather be the wife?
verse 3:
G C G C
The wife is the one who has to rescue our butts
G C G
She's either a saint or else she's nuts.
A7 D7
She gets impatient and she gets annoyed
A7 D7
"Cause she's the one who must remain employed
G C Bm E7
And, by the way, if you want to wreck your life
Am D7 G
Become a guitar player's wife.
G E7 A7
'Cause all the monkeys ain't in the zoo.
D7 G
They can be trained to play guitar too.
E7 A7 Am
Some do a whole lot better than you
D7 Bm E7 Am
But even if you don't go far
D7 Bm E7 Am
You could be worse off than you are
D7 G C G
At least you're playing your guitar.